Castiglione 
View from Nitrodi Showers 
Bagnitello 
San Montano Resort & Spa
Water is life. In Ischia, a small island off the coast of Naples in Italy that is the home of my ancestors and husband, the thermal waters have healing properties and support the island’s main source of income, which is tourism. In other words, water is really life there. Discover how people came to learn of the island’s healing powers:
History of Ischia’s Thermal Waters and Rise as Tourist Hot Spot
January 1, 0700
The Euboeans, a Greek tribe, settle the island we now call Ischia. They discover the island’s volcanic origins and use the thermal water from the springs to treat the wounds of injured soldiers, according to Ischia Review.
Read moreIschia’s Thermal Waters Help Make the Island Italian
January 1, 0800
6 AD – The Romans discard Pithekoussai, which was the name the Greeks had given to the island, for the name Enaria. The island gets traded to the Neapolitans for Capri, its neighbor. Eventually, during this period, the island receives its name, Ischia. The Romans build “thermae” or baths on…
Read moreRecognition of Ischia’s Thermal Waters
January 1, 1559
1559 – Author Giulio Iasolino wrote a book about the health effects of Ischia’s thermal waters. This is how many people discovered the existence of the water and its healing power.
Read moreGaribaldi Seeks Ischia’s Thermal Waters to Heal War Wounds
June 19, 1864
June 19, 1864 – The doctor of Giuseppe Garibaldi, hero of the Italian Risorgimento, sends him to Ischia to heal a foot injury he experienced two years earlier in the battle at Aspromonte.
Read moreIschia’s Thermal Waters – What’s in the Water?
January 1, 1918
1918 – Marie Curie visits the island and studies the composition of Ischia’s thermal waters. She says the water is radioactive and contains radium, radon, thorium, uranium, and actinium, according to Napoli Unplugged.
Read moreIschia’s Thermal Waters Make It a Top Destination for Wellness
June 6, 2019
Today – Ischia’s thermal waters and the famous spas that allow tourists to take advantage of its healing powers have made the island one of the world’s best destinations for health and wellness vacations.
Read moreDi Meglio is the author of Fun with the Family New Jersey (Globe Pequot Press, 2012). She also has written the Our Paesani column for ItaliansRus.com since 2003. You can follow the Italian Mamma on Facebook or Twitter @ItalianMamma10.